Wire-stretcher.



N. & F. WHITESEL.

WIRE STRBTGHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1914.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. c.

N. & F. WHITESEL.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1914.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914,.

Zlwuwwtm NEWTON Wan-521. 1, QWi/twzmo FREDE WHITESEL Wm m I. M

. al bo'mus THE NORRIS PETERS CD.. PHOTU-LITHO, WASHINGTON. D. C.

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON WHITESEL AND FREDERICK WHITESEL, OF VVATERTOWN, NEBRASKA.

WIRE-STRETCHER;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 15', 1914.

Application filed May 11, 1914. Serial No. 837,848.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that'we, NEWTON VVHrrnsni andFREDERICK WVHITESEL, citizens of the United States, residing atWatertown, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have inventedcertain new and use ful Improvements in VVire-Stretchers; of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawmgs.

This invention relates to wire stretchers.

The object of the invention is to provide an article of this characterwhich shall be thoroughly eifective in placing a fence wire undertension and retaining it in taut condition until properly stapled to thepost, the construction and operation of the parts be ing such as toinsure the highest efiiciency and durability in use with the minimum ofdanger of derangement or breakage of any of the elements. a

A further object is to construct the op erating lever in such a manneras will permit of the stretcher being turned overwithout any danger ofthe wire becoming disconnected from the implement.

A further object is to adapt the appliance for use in connection withposts of different sizes, whereby Ymaterially to increase the usefulnessof the tool as a whole.

Vith the above'and other objects inview, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts of a wire stretcher as Will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and inwhich like characters of reference. designate corresponding parts:Figure 1 is a top plan view of the stretcher; Fig. 2 is a view in sideelevation displaying the stretcher positioned relative to a post; Fig. 3is a top plan view similar to F 1, but taken from the reverse side ofthe stretcher; Fig. & is an end View of the operating head; Fig. 5 is atop plan view of a portion of the operating lever, showing the manner inwhich the pulling dog is held out of operative relationby the springthat serves to hold it in contact with the wire when the latter is beingstretched; and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of a part of theimplement.

The post clamp or anchoring member comprises a head 1 from which projecttwo arms, 2 and 3, of the same length and held spaced apart by a brace4, and a third arm 5 disposed to those on the other arms, the arm 9being disposed in parallelism with the arm 5, but being considerablyshorter than the latter arm. Disposed between the ears 7 and 8 is agrooved sheave 11 having integral therewith a ratchet wheel 12, andprojecting through the ears and the sheave and ratchet wheel is'a shaft13 that is carried by and.

disposed at right angles to a lever 14:, the

shaft being rigid with the sheave 11, and i being held againstdisconnection from the ear 8 by a cotter pin 15 that extends through atransverse opening in the end of the shaft 13 that projects through theear 7. The

ratchet wheel is designedto be engaged by 1 a pawl '16 that is pivotedto the arm 2, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3. p

. The arm 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 17, the inner wall ofwhich is furnished with a series of seats 18 that are, designed to beengaged by 'apin 19 extending through a yoke 20 carried by the shank ofahook 21, the hook being arranged to be engaged by the links of a postclamping chain 22 that is secured to the sheave 11. The provision of theslot 17 andseats-IS is of importance,

as by this arrangement the stretcher can be used with posts of differentsizes, it being merely necessary to slip the hook along the arm 5 andbring the pin 19 into engagement with the seat nearest the postwhereupon the hook will be locked against slipping.

The'head 1, to which reference has been made, is provided with'achamber23 in which is arranged a wire holding dog 2-1, the latter beingprovided with the usual serrations to bite into the wire, VJ, and alsoto force the wire against the adjacent wall 25 of the head. The outerwall 26'of the chamber is divided to provide a passage way 27 throughwhich the wire may be inserted within the head and against the wall 25,one of the wall members 26 serving to prevent shaft 28 that is carriedby a lever 29, from which projects a pin 30, this pin being engaged byone end of a coiled spring 31, the other end of which is secured in apin or stud 32 projecting upward or outward from the arm 2. Theconnection of the spring with the lever 29 is such that when swung to aposition to shift the holding dog from operative to inoperativeposition, the lever will pass the dead center and thereby cause thespring to operate to hold the dog in an operative position until thelever is again shifted to bring it past the dead center in an oppositedirection, whereupon the spring 31 will exercise its function and causethe dog to grip the wall 25 ofthe chamber 23.

Swiveled upon the shaft '13 between the ear 7 and the ratchet wheel 12is the inner end 33 of the operating lever 34. At a point adjacent tothe inner terminal of the lever the latter is provided with a head 35formed with a chamber 36 in which is arranged a pulling dog 37, thelatter being rigid with a shaft 38 that carries at one end a lever'39,and projecting outward from this lever is a pin or stud 4:0 with whichconnects one end of a coiled spring 41, the other end of which isconnected with a stud 12 carried by the inner end of the lever. Thisspring operates in the same manner as the spring 31 to cause the levertohold the dog 37 into and out of operative relation relative to one wall43 of the head 35, the wall 44: being divided to provide a passage way45 corresponding to the passage way 27 in the head 1, and designed topermit the insertion of the wire within the head, the wall operating toprevent the wire from working out of the head should the position of theimplement be reversed for any reason.

In the use of the implement, the arms 2, 3, 5 and 9 are brought intoengagement with the post, and one of the links of the chain 22 is passedover the hook 21, after which the lever 14 is operated to tighten thechain and thus cause the spurs 6 and 10 of the arms to sink into thepost and thus anchor the implement in position. lhe wire is then passedthrough the passage way 27, the dog 2% being in unlocked position, andthrough the passage way i5 in the head 35, and the dog 37 brought intoengagement therewith, whereupon the lever 3a is operated to place thewire under the desired tension, and the looking dog is then brought intoplay and will securely grip the wire and hold it until the operatorstaples it to the post. This same T operation is repeated until all thewires are secured.

From the foregoing description it will be Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, "by addressing the CommissionerWashington, I). 0.

seen that although the improvements of this invention are simple incharacter, they will be thoroughly efficient for the purposes de signed,and will coact in the production of a durable and entirely practicalform of wire stretcher.

o claim:

1. In a wire stretcher, a head including a pair of post engaging armsdisposed at right angles to each other, having their innor facesprovided with spurs, and one of the arms being furnished with alongitudinal slot having one of its walls formed with seats, a hookcarried by the latter arm and having a pin to engage the seats, agrooved sheave carried by the other arm, a lever I for actuating thesheave, a chain secured to the periphery of the sheave and having itslinks arranged to engage with the hook, and wire retaming and wlrestretching means 7 carried by the head.

2. In a wire stretcher, a head provided with a pair of post engagingarms, a horizontally disposed hook carried by one of the arms, a holdingdog pivoted within the head,

one of the walls of the head being provided with an entrance throat, aspring drawn lever pivotally connected with the dog, a grooved sheavecarried by one of the arms and embodying pawl and ratchet mechanism, achain having one end secured to the sheave and its other end arranged tobe brought into engagement with the hook, and wire retaining and wirestretching means carried by the head.

3. In a wire stretcher, a head having one of its walls provided with anentrance throat,'a spring drawn holding dog pivotally mounted in thehead, a plurality of arms carried by the head, each of which is providedon its inner face with spurs, and one of the arms being furnished with alongitudinal slot formed with a seat, a hook having a pin projectingthrough the slot and arranged to engage with the seat, a grooved sheavecarried by the other arms and embodying pawl and ratchet mechanism, achain carried by the sheave and arranged to have its links engaged withth hook, a lever provided with a shaft to which the sheave is rigidlysecured, and wire'stretching means pivoted upon the sheave carryingshaft.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aiiix our signatures in the presence oftwo wit- NEWTON WHITESEL. FREDERICK lVI-HTESEL. Witnesses:

A. L. FrroH, E. G. BURRINGTON.

of I'atents,

